Note-sheet spool.



A. A. FRIESTEDT.

NQTE SHEET SPOOL.

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 29, 1910.

1043,73 Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

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Inf/@afar A. A. PRIBSTBDT. NOTE SHEET spoot..

APPLICATION FILED 00T. 29, 1910.

1 ,0143, 1 7 3 Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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'ARTHUR A. FRIESTEDT, or CHICAGO', ILLINOIS, AssIGNoR To. UNITED STATESIvIUSIc1 COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

lnornsnnnr sPooL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

. Application filed October' 29, 1910. Serial No. 589,664.

' player-pianos, orchestrions and other automatic musical instruments,and aims to produce a spool which shall possess advantageouscharacteristics and embody certain novel features of construction to behereinafter more fully set forth.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of anotesheet spool which will deliver thenote-sheet across thetracker-board of the instrument in absolute alinemeiit'and withinvariable accuracy and precision, thereby eliminating from automaticplayers of 'the character indicated the tracker mechanism which hasheretofore been considered a necessary adjunct to all machines of thischaracter utilizing perfo- Y-rated note-sheets.

Another object is' to provide a spool, the driving head of which will beimpervious and relatively inexpansible so that it will be unaifected bychanges in atmospherlc conditions, such as changes both in temperatureand humidity.

Additional'objects are, to provide a spool of strong and durableconstruction which shall be cheaper to manufacture and of more ornateappearance than any spool heretofore constructed and the heads of whichshall be hard, smooth and unyielding so as not to mutilate or in 'anywa'y injure or interfere with the edges 'of a note-sheet which vis`being wound; on or unwound from the spool.

` Other objects and advantages of this invention Vwill-becomeJ apparentas it is better understood by reference to the following descriptionwhen taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustratingpreferred embodimentsthereof.

Referring to the drawings-Figure l is a front elevation of so much of anautomatic musical instrument as is, necessary to an understanding of mylinvention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation thereof.- Fig. Sis-a longitudinalsectional vijew of onetypef spool end of the spool shown in lar view ofa modification thereof. Fig. 5 1s an end velevation looking at thedriving end of the spool shown in 'Fig..3. Fig. 6 is a similar elevationof the opposite 4.end ofl Vthe spool shown in Fig. 3.

'Fig'. 7 lis a sectional. viewon the line 7- 7 of Fig. 3; Fig.

f embodying my invention. Fig. 4 is a simi- 8 is'an end elevationlooking at the driving frame or body of any well known or preferred typeof musical player, said frame having iixedly secured thereto theordinary tracker-board b. The usual winding'roll c upon which theperforated note-sheet d is wound during the operation of the instrument,is rotatably mounted in suitably fixed bearings carried by the frame.The notesheet is delivered across the tracker-board from a note-sheetspool which l have designated generally as c. A

Suitable driving mechanism (not shown) is adapted to mesh with the gearl secured on the winding-roll shaft to impart a positive rotation-to theroll when the instrument is operated. A gear 2 or other device adaptedto be operated by the driving mechanism, is secured upon driving spindle3 for the' purpose of positively rotating the notesheet spool to rewindthe note-sheet onto the spool from the winding roll. The opposite end ofthe spool is supported byfa spindle or pintle 4 which is urged intoengagement with the end'of the spool by an expansion spring 5.

The mechanism which has 'thus far been described in a general way is ofusual construction and may be patterned after any of the well knowntypes. The driving gears 1 and 2 in the present instance are shown aslocated at'the left side of the instrument but obviously they might be,and in many types of instruments are, located at the right side. In sometypes of instruments chain' and sprocket mechanism is employed in lieuof the gears Shown, but it will be understood that the particulardriving mechanism employed is=not of material consequence to the presentinvention.

. In an instrument of the general character indicated the tracker-boardb is provided with a series of openings 6 arranged longitudinally of the.tracker-'board and in the newer types of machines these .openingsarespaced 9 tothe inch, giving a total of 88 openings on lthe tracker-boardsuilicient to control the'manipulation of the entire keyboard ofv anordinaryv piano. The notesheet Z is provided with the requiredperforations 7 which are spaced across the sheet so as to correspondwith the openings in the tracker-board.

The satisfactory operation of an instrument of this character requiresthe notesheet Ito be guided with accuracy and precision across thetracker-board so that the note-sheet perforations will exactly alinewith their respectiveopenings in the tracker-board and, because of thenarrowness of the tracker-board openings and notesheet perforations, theslightest lateral deviation of the note-sheet from its proper path willmaterially affect the musical. qualities of the instrument. This'guiding ofthe note-sheet so as to feed the perforations across thetracker-board in exact alinement with their respective openings, isaccomplished in my invention by the note-sheet spool alone; whereas,prior to this time, because of the. character ofl the note-sheet spoolsheretofore in use, it has been impos- ,sible to effect a proper guidingof the notesheet without the assistance. of a -special trackermechanism.

Tracker mechanism of various kinds have been devised, the most.successful, however, being constructed and arranged to effect theguidingby moving the note-sheet .spool longitudinally in one directionor the other so as to rectify the sheet when laterally displaced duringthe operation of the instrument. In order to adjust the spool, thedriving spindle 3 which is constructed to engage with the driving headof the spool has been mounted so as to be capable of longitudinaladjustment, and mechanism controlled by the lateral position of thenotesheet on the tracker-board has been -pro vided to accomplish thislongitudinaladjustment. The' note-sheet spool is maintained inengagement with the driving end of .the spindle 3 by the expansionspring 5 which urges the spindle 4-against the other 'end oi"v thespool.

' The note-sheet spools themselves, which have been in use prior to myinvention, so

far as I am aware, com rlsed a tubularl body portion provided wit a-wooden head at eac sheet from its proper falinement across thetracker-board necessitatin the employment of .a' tracker mechanism,resulted directly from .the structural inaccuracies and .the variationsresultin from the expansion l and contraction, un er Vchangingatmospheric conditions, of these wooden spool- My 1mvention aims,however, to.

eads.

end. The deviations of the note-- its production and which will be ofexactly the required dimensions and proportions; and furthermore, theheads of my improved spools are made of impervious and inexpansiblematerial which will not be affected either by changes. in thetemperature or humidity of the atmosphere. V

Figs. 3 to 8 inclusive, of the drawings illustrate two modifications ofmy improved spool, one of which is equipped with a feathered driving key.and the other of which is provided with a key-slot. Referring moreparticularly to Fig. 3, 8 designates the main' body portion of anote-sheet spool which is made preferably of paper, pasteboard, pulp orother suitable :material arranged in tubular form. The head 9, which ismolded, cast or pressed, is composed of a solid piece of electrose orother impervious and inexpansible material shaped to provide engagedwith the usual spool driving spindle` 3 of a musical instrument. 'Acylindrical extension .12, which, in this modification is made of sheetmetal, projects inwardly from the inner. guiding face of the head, andis inserted inthe end of the main body portion of the tube'where it isrigidly secured by glue or other suitable'adhesive-indicated at 13. Byreason. of the inexpansibility of the head 9 the distance between theinner or guiding face of the flange, and the abutment or end, of the hubis always maintained constant so that whenthe abutment is positionedagainst a longitudinally fixed driving shoulder'. the guiding face willalways deliver the note-'sheet in the required alinement with thetracker-board. The head 14, disposed at the other end of the tubularportionof the spool and of similar composition to the head 9,-isequipped with a pintle 15 adapted to turn in the usual bearing blockwhich may be secured' upon the springpressed spindle Il, and is likewiseprovided with an inwardly projecting cylindrical extension 16.v Thishead, however, instead of being rigidly secured to the tubular portionof the spool, is slidingly and telescopically engaged therewith so thatthe cylindrical eX- tension may partially withdraw 'from the tubularortion 8 to increase the length of the spool. ince the paper note-sheetsusually employed are subject to expansion and contraction under theinfluence of atmos heric changes, the extensibility of the' spooprovided by the movability of the head1-i is very desirable, in that it*permits lateral expansion of the note-sheet to take place withoutbinding or Idistorting theedges of glued or the sheet between the innerfacesof the spool-heads. The comparative freedom of movement betiveenthe cylindricall portion 16 and the main body "portion of the spoolpermits the expansion spring 5 to yieldingly thrust the head 14 againstthe edge'of a rolled up note-sheet so as tohold the opposite edge incontact with the inner guiding face of the head. Furthermore, if therolled up sheet should be disarranged. on the spool the head 14 may bemanually reciprocated to bring the. opposite edge of-the sheet incontact with the driving head 9 before the spool is positioned in theinstrument. The modification disclosed in Fig. 4 also comprises atubular main body portion 8, but in this instance the heads of thespools are slightly different from those shown in Fig. 3. The head 17 inthis modification is also composed of electrose or other impervious andineXpansible material and is provided With an integral cylindricalportion 18 adapted to -t Within the main body portion 8. In lieu of thefeathered key With which the head 9 is equipped, the hub 17 of the -head17 is provided with a shoulder or end abutment 19 and a key-slot 19vadapted to receive a driving key provided on the endof the spindle 3.This head'l is glued or otherwise rigidly secured by adhesive 13 to thetubular body 8. The distance between the abutment 19 and 4the guidingface of 4the flange is always constant because of the inexpansibility ofthe material from which the head is composed, as previously described inconnection with the other embodiment of the invention. The opposite head20 of this modification is similar to the head 17 except that in placeof the key-slot there is provided a tapered socket 21 adapted to fitover the end of the conventional stub-bearing or spindle 4,- shown inFig. 1. The integral cylindrical portion 22 telescopes Within the maintubular portion 8 to permit longitudinal movement of the head 20 similarto the movement of the head 14. This movability of the head 2O permitslateral expansion of the note-sheet and also serves tohold the oppositeedge of the sheet continuously against the guiding face of'the head 17.Y

The heads 9 and 17 in the modifications described, known as the drivingheads, are otherwise rigidly secured to the tubular body portion of thespools so that the spools may be rotated from the usual Copies oi. thispatent maybe obtained for .tance from said guiding face.

driving mechanism to rewind the notesheets in the customary manner. The-opposite heads 14 and 20, which do not assist in the driving operation,are carried by the spindle 4 .Which constantly urges these heads spoolsWithout in any Way disturbing or' affecting the driving operation.

My improved note-sheet spool embodying the cast or molded impervious andinexpansible heads can be made much more cheaply and accurately than theWooden head spools heretofore employed, and the positive and invariableposition of the guiding face of the head when the spool is in operativeposition, insures the accurate delivery of the note-sheet across thetrackerboard Without lateral deviation from its proper alinementirrespective of the temperature or humidity of the atmosphere.Furthermore, a spool head formed as shown With a portion of the outerface of the flange surround-ing the driving hub removed, presents a verydistinctive 4' and pleasing appearance.

What I desire to'claim is:

1. A note-sheet spool end comprising an end abutment and a guidingflange provided With a smooth guiding face constructed integrally ofrelatively inexpansible material to maintain a Xed predeterminedrelation between said abutment and the guiding face of said flange.

2. A note-sheet spool end comprising an end abutment and a guidingportion provided ivith a smoothjguiding face, said spool end beingconstructed integrally of impervious relatively inexpansible materialWhereby a predetermined invariable' distance is maintained between said.guiding face and the face of said abutment.

3. A note-sheet spool comprising a body portion and a pair of heads, oneot said heads being formed from relatively inexpansible material such aselectrose shaped to provide a guiding face and a driving abutment spaceda ixed predetermined dis- ARTHUR A. FRinsTEDT.

Witnesses:

" I. J. WILSON, M. A. KIDDIE.

:five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents,Washington, D C. l

